My Cabin: Snowy Haven in the Woods

A cabin helps raise a boy
Story and photos by Jonathan Erickson, Cabin Life reader
Cabin location: Lake Five, Mich.

Published: October 7, 2011

There is always that one setting in every human’s life that plays a unique, defining and formative role. A place defined not only by physical location but also by an emotional connection. My cabin in the woods is just that. Boys in the early stages of life are filled with vigor, with the attention span of a chipmunk and a need for danger. As a child, I spent my weekends climbing trees in the woods and taking frequent fishing trips in the paddleboat with a squeaky chain. As I became older, I graduated to riding four-wheelers and strumming my guitar on the front porch. Winter was my favorite – the snow was always deep! At the end of the season it was always difficult to watch as the snow melted away. This may seem odd, but I always managed to become emotionally attached to the snow piles. I can only hope to one day share the same place with my family. The significance of a place such as this has become apparent to me as I begin the next stage of life. Our castle in the woods will never be forgotten; to anyone else it is a place, but to me it was and is the whole world.